Unemployment up in 44 states

posted at 1:46 pm on August 18, 2012 by Jazz Shaw

The engine of growth remains in low gear, it seems, and it’s not just in a few isolated pockets around the nation. While the overall employment numbers for July were disappointing at best, the state by state breakdown provides an even more alarming glimpse at precisely how little ground we are making in terms of a sustainable economic recovery. The Hill reports that only a handful of states didn’t register losses during the period in question.

Close to 90 percent of states saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a potentially worrisome development for President Obama’s reelection campaign.

The Labor Department reported Friday that 44 states in all saw their jobless rate go up, with four states seeing no change at all. Only Idaho and Rhode Island — along with Washington, D.C. — saw their rates drop last month…

Even though the unemployment rate remains north of 8 percent, some analysts expected Obama to get a boost because many of the swing states that both campaigns are targeting have jobless rates below the national average.

But among the dozen or so states that both parties are contesting, only Ohio — which saw its rate stay at 7.2 percent — did not see an increase in July.

Nevada is back up to 12%. New Hampshire – with one of the most enviable unemployment rates in the nation – also saw an uptick to 5.4%. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin both notched up a .3% increase. If these are the states the President is counting on to carry him over the finish line, he might not want to mention that three four letter word – Jobs – too often. (Hat tip… Joe Biden.)

Even California, a state which has actually been producing a positive number of jobs per month in 2012, is still struggling.

“I’m looking for anything,” said a woman named Pam at the Verdugo Jobs Center in Glendale, CA. “At my age, no one wants to hire me.”

She says she has done secretarial work and worked in merchadising. Now she’s hoping to become a house cleaner.

New Gallup unemployment data suggest an increase in the government’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August when it is reported on Friday, Sept. 7. During recent months, Gallup’s measurements have been more optimistic than those of the BLS. Barring a sharp reversal in this relationship, the government’s unadjusted unemployment rate might be expected to stay the same or increase in August…

Trying to guess the U.S. unemployment rate has been a thankless task in 2012, even using Gallup’s 30,000 interviews as a basis for estimation — even worse than trying to guess the results of the government’s establishment survey. However, like ADP’s (Automatic Data Processing) estimates of the establishment survey results, Gallup’s numbers have been close to the household survey results much of the time.

Regardless, barring heroic adjustments or a sharp change in direction, Gallup data suggest the seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment rate for August will increase — possibly substantially — when announced in early September.

Apparently this is what change looks like. And the Summer of Wreckovery marches on.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

I was just thinking that. Bcs you know there are even conservatives that talk about how great this program was & how it helped grandpa back in the day during the Depression.
Never mind that FDR actually worsened the great depression.
Now we have Obama & Congress worsening things into the Greatest Depression ever.

The paradoxical thing is the high unemployment rate at the age of Obama may actually increase votes for Barry, because economic insecurity motivates people to vote for Democrats who trade freebies for votes.

If I don’t count, then quite literally neither do you and you might as well just lay down and die. Obama won by 52% in 2008 and by your logic there is clearly no way he can be defeated.

SWalker on August 18, 2012 at 2:32 PM

I live in a swing state. I’m risking serious property damage by putting a Romney lawn sign in the yard. I am helping Romney win the election. You, on the other hand, live in a state whose electoral college votes have already been determined by the fine folks in LA and SFO. Deal with it.

South TX number is up slightly, but not because we aren’t creating jobs in our “business friendly” climate of tort reform, low taxes, and only necessary regulation. It’s because we can’t quite create them fast enough to absorb all the CA and “swing state” refugees who keep pouring in. If they’d stayed home, the swing state numbers would be much worse. We’d be at 3%, but we’re glad to welcome these immigrants, as long as they’ve learned their lesson and don’t try to destroy us by making it “more like back home in (CA, MI, OH, etc…)

So I saw Jon Lovitz on Piers Morgan tonite. Lovitz is great. Seems like a reasonable intelligent man. Morgan, an Obama supporter, says to him that “the eight years” of Bush were a disaster with the worst unemployment in history. He asks Lovitz why he is critical of Obama when the “eight years” of Bush essentially had just as bad unemployment. Lovitz said “I don’t know”. Thus the mantra that as soon as Bush took over, the country went to hell. I was not the greatest Bush fan at all. But the average unemployment was 5.2%. Rising to 7.8 in the last year of his presidency. Why oh why do we keep letting embiciles like Morgan get away with this. I wanted to jump thru my tv. And everyone allows this lie to go on. Everyone including conservative talk show hosts and conservative politicians. This is not about defending Bush. This is about truthfulness. This is why idiots out there and Mr Lovitz have no response for this. I’m losing my mind. What world are we living in!

I was just thinking that. Bcs you know there are even conservatives that talk about how great this program was & how it helped grandpa back in the day during the Depression.
Never mind that FDR actually worsened the great depression.
Now we have Obama & Congress worsening things into the Greatest Depression ever.

Badger40 on August 18, 2012 at 2:15 PM

The EPA will not allow a CCC in fact they are trying to undo the few good works long term of the CCC.

You can make a case for Keynsian “multiplier” expenditure through a CCC type program if we were using the manpower and science to try to maximize the growth potential of arable land to use low water usage foodstuff production. The problem becomes what to do with the land once it has been properly terraformed.

I’d say the feds should lease the land to venture farmers who capitalize the production on the land and sharecrop with the government by literally handing over a negotiated portion of the crop.

State could then use the crops for food relief. The United States’ position should be genuine free markets for food, and State should leverage food aid to encourage gradual removal of dictatorship as a way of life.

The US now subsidizes hunger not farms.

Getting between a man and food he purchases with work or is given by charity should be held as piracy and a capital offense.

What is going on in Africa with food used as a weapon of genocide should unite all nations to stop it, but we won’t because mankind has devolved in many ways since the Victorian era.

What an interesting choice of words by Gallup: “Regardless, barring heroic adjustments or a sharp change in direction, Gallup data suggest the seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment rate for August will increase.”

Does Gallup hope for some “heroic” liberal government employee at BLS to “adjust” the data to help Obama?

The paradoxical thing is the high unemployment rate at the age of Obama may actually increase votes for Barry, because economic insecurity motivates people to vote for Democrats who trade freebies for votes.

bayview on August 18, 2012 at 2:35 PM

Not necessarily, America is comprised essentially of 40 percent conservatives, 40 percent moderates and 20 percent liberals. Moderates for the most part a low information voters, they tend to vote their wallets, and Obama’s tax increases are killing their wallets.

The paradoxical thing is the high unemployment rate at the age of Obama may actually increase votes for Barry, because economic insecurity motivates people to vote for Democrats who trade freebies for votes.

Another thing that the local conservative talk radio show says, employers can’t FIND enough people who can pass the drug test to get jobs! I have heard this over and over just in our area and I feel sure it is all over TX and other states as well? And the employers, in most businesses, want drug free employees!
L

Another thing that the local conservative talk radio show says, employers can’t FIND enough people who can pass the drug test to get jobs! I have heard this over and over just in our area and I feel sure it is all over TX and other states as well? And the employers, in most businesses, want drug free employees!
L

So even in WI the number went up even though the more intense census of companies shown that they in fact added over 20K jobs over the course of a year. Of course the idiot liberals here in WI are fuming because like during the recall, it made Walker look good… and I think these are in fact the same numbers he released early before the recall …which made liberals madder than all heck saying he was using it for political gain….and the numbers shown to be right….

So to be honest, I do not understand how it goes up for the rate… even when we have a positive growth….I do not know what the base line is for jobs needed to add in order to keep up with growth…

I’d say the feds should lease the land to venture farmers who capitalize the production on the land and sharecrop with the government by literally handing over a negotiated portion of the crop.

State could then use the crops for food relief. The United States’ position should be genuine free markets for food, and State should leverage food aid to encourage gradual removal of dictatorship as a way of life.

The US now subsidizes hunger not farms.

Getting between a man and food he purchases with work or is given by charity should be held as piracy and a capital offense.

What is going on in Africa with food used as a weapon of genocide should unite all nations to stop it, but we won’t because mankind has devolved in many ways since the Victorian era.

That’s a “new deal” I could glom on to.

harlekwin15 on August 18, 2012 at 2:40 PM

I don’t think the Feds should be doing anything like that. Let the states do those things if they want.
Unless food gets to be a problem, as in scarce, domestically.
And BTW-The fed is quite nicely subsidizing quite a few farmers.
Here in ND it is state law corporations can’t own farms/ranches.
So the ‘family’ farmer is still here.
Problem is, we’ve got farmers getting huge & sucking more & more off the govt teat & they most certainly are getting rich.
I am watching my neighbors go to the bank & bcs of their cash flow from Uncle Sugar, they can get loans to buy the best of all new equipment. Many farmers I know around here are fleecing the he!! out of taxpayers.
So yes, the Federal govt is still subsidizing farms.
I think the Fed Govt getting into sharecropping is a bad idea.
Bcs that is basically what they are doing now.
We do not need the Fed in Ag. Unless it relates to trade btwn states & trade with other countries. But this nonsense of buying up pork & chicken etc that they are doing right now to prop up prices is bad.

Not necessarily, America is comprised essentially of 40 percent conservatives, 40 percent moderates and 20 percent liberals. Moderates for the most part a low information voters, they tend to vote their wallets, and Obama’s tax increases are killing their wallets.

SWalker on August 18, 2012 at 2:41 PM

And then we have people who don’t even vote. I heard in ND that only 50% of those registered to vote are voting. That isn’t even talking eligible.
People have become so selfish & apathetic it is hard to remain rage free.
I have friends who are transient types. He’s a welder & lives in a 5th wheel from job site to job site.
He won’t vote, but hate liberals.
I get so mad at him bcs I tell him to vote. He just shrugs & says why bother.
I hate these attitudes. It has helped ruin this country.
Not enough people will actually fight. Pathetic.

employers can’t FIND enough people who can pass the drug test to get jobs! I have heard this over and over just in our area and I feel sure it is all over TX and other states as well? And the employers, in most businesses, want drug free employees!
L

Upticks in the unemployment rate are usually associated with increased layoffs, and while that is certainly the case at the beginning of an economic downturn, it is often the case that the rate ticks up because more people start looking for jobs again. (To be counted as part of this number you must out of work and actively seeking a job.) Job openings have increased lately, and the economic numbers from July showed a strong increase in activity … the increase in the unemployment rates could signal more people re-entering the workforce as job seekers.

But this nonsense of buying up pork & chicken etc that they are doing right now to prop up prices is bad.

Badger40 on August 18, 2012 at 3:15 PM

States can’t exert their own foreign policy, and notice I said “Federal Land”. You and I are in agreement BTW I fully support an end to subsidy, one of the issues hurting us is the wild distortion in price index. We literally have no idea what our food should cost so we just amble along.

A lot of folks should read Grapes of Wrath and understand it was not a love letter to the new deal.

I didn’t say I loved it bud I said that was about my limit.

Democrats in 1950 would have loved that idea and we could have done business, nowadays they are in bed with Gaia cultists so deep they can’t do business and find any sane middle.

US Labor Dept., 17AUG12: “Unemployment rates rose in 44 US states in July”
…but let’s NOT talk about that and the utterly failed policies of OBOZO that caused it – let’s just just focus on Romney’s tax returns !!!!!!!

The part of the Joker is being played by Barack Obama
The part of Two-Face is being played by ANY Democrat in congress

The Joker: [speaking to Two-Face] Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just, do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Romney’s got plans. You know, they’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how, pathetic, their attempts to control things really are. So, when I say, ah, come here, when I say that you and your girlfriend (Pelosi) was nothing personal, you know that I’m telling the truth.

The Joker: It’s the schemers that put you where you are. You were a schemer, you had plans, and uh, look where that got you. I just did what I do best. I took your plan and I turned it on itself. Look what I did, to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets. Hm? You know what, you know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I tell the press that like a gang banger, will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all, part of the plan. But when I say that one, little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!

The Joker: [Joker hands Two-Face a gun and points it at himself] Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. Oh and you know the thing about chaos, it’s fair.

[with the gun in Two-Face’s hand, Two-Face pauses and takes out his coin]Two-Face: [showing the unscarred side] You live.The Joker: Mm-hm.Two-Face: [flipping, showing the scarred side] You die.The Joker: Mmm, Now we’re talking.

* And employing a groom with a family to support.
* And paying for feed that’s sold by someone with a family to support
* and transported in trucks by someone with a family to support
* and manufactured in a factory by people with families to support
* from stuff that’s grown by farmers with families to support.
* And having a barn built by construction workers with families to support
* with materials trucked by drivers with families to support
* from factories with workers with families to support.

Sounds like that one horse has done more to put Americans to work than that horse’s azz in the WH.

Only if one blindly accepts the official line of manure coming from the BEA. In reality, as borne out by the reports at the consumer metrics institute and our own faithful observations, we see the engine STALLED and dies three years ago.

One can make a dead frog jump when current is applied, but the frog is still dead. Our economy is not quite that bad, but almost. It’s in a coma on life support and the current medical team are the three stooges.

I’ve been expecting Obama to claim victory all summer when I thought employment normally increased with the kiddies out of school. We must be in a death spiral since the numbers have only gotten worse less than 100 days until the election freedom.

Here in MN the unemployment rate edged up, with 6800 new jobs, but unfortunately 3100 of those jobs are in government. Jobs which add drag to the economy, since gov’t sucks up money that could be used to create jobs if it had been left in the private sector.

California – where I live – is so broken that the libtards are putting three ballot measures on the November ballot to raise taxes. Knowing the morons who live here, they will probably pass, more jobs will leave the state, and, like cockroaches, the liberals will flee to states like Texas to pursue those jobs and then vote in the same regulations and politicians that ruined California.

I once brought up an idea along that line as a welfare requirement. It would make the right-winger happy because all the poor minorities were forced to do hard outdoor work to earn their government cheese, and the left-wingers would adore the ‘green’ aspect to pieces.

…like some of the other brilliant plans (/sort-of-sarc) I’ve posted about online, it did not work as planned.